Elevator fire-guard



(No Model.)

sfn. BALL. ELEVATOR FIRE GUARD.

No. 545,642. Patented Sept. 3, 1895.

Inventor UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

SEYMOUR D. BALL, OF LOOK HAVEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

EL EVATOR FIRE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,642, datedSeptember 3, 1895.

Application filed March 16, 1895. Serial No. 542,055. (No model. I

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, SEYMOUR D. BALL, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Lock Haven, in the county of Clinton and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements to be Used asElevator Fire-Guards, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accom panying drawings.

The object of my invention is to prevent the upward draft of air in theshaft of an elevator when the elevator is not moving in it by the use ofsuch fire-guards as herein described placed in the shaft.

Figurel represents a front vertical section of an ordinary elevator andshaft in a building of a number-of stories in height, the most of thefront incasing being removed to bring said improvements to view. Fig. 2is a horizontal view of a section of the shaft through the plane of thedotted line 3 and 4, Fig. .1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal View of a sectionof the shaft through the planeof the dotted line 1 and 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the lower part of thefront side of the incasing of the elevator-shaft, the dotted linesshowing a common lock or bolt fastened on the inside thereof just beloweach lower cog-wheel. the incasing is removed to show the cog-wheel witha portion of the endless chain on it.

Similar letters represent similar parts.

It is not thought necessary to show the machinery by which the car ismoved.

P represents the joist of the lowest floor; Q R S, respectively, thejoists of the second, third, and fourth floors of the building in whichthe elevator is used; E, the car; B, the

shaft; Athe incasing of the shaft; D the cables.

for hoisting and lowering the car, and F the fire-guards, each of whichcloses one-half part of the shaft.

A pair of the fire-guards is placed in the shaft about the level of eachfloor of the building, and a pair of them is placed in the shaft abovethe machinery and attachments used in the shaft, as shown in Fig. 1.Above the upper pair of fire-guards the top or cover of the shaft N ispermanently fastened to the incasing, with openings X (shown by dottedlines) for ventilation, one opening in the front Above the lock.

side and one in the rear side of the incasing below the top or cover Nand above said upper pair of fire-guards, which fire-guards open againstthe other sides of the shaft. The cover N may be composed more or lessof glass, as may be desired, to light up the shaft.

When all the fire-guards are brought together and fastened in the shaft,resting horizontally on stops fastened firmly to the inside of theincasing of the shaft eachpair will close the whole shaft, as shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 3, whereby the updraft of air through the shaft iscompletely out OK and prevented, and the spread of fire through theshaft is alsoprevented as long as the fire-guards are thus kept closed.a v

G represents the cog-wheels, one of which is rigidly fastened to one endof each fireguard F, so that the outside face of the cogs will be nearto'the parallel incasing of the shaft. The fireguards F, as shown, arehung and hinged on a round iron rod fastened rigidly at each end to theincasing of the shaft, which rod passesin a line parallel to the face ofthe cogs through a hole a little larger than the rod in the center ofthe cog-wheel, across the fire-guards F, and through a like hole in afastening on the side of the fire-guard opposite to the cog-wheel, sothat each fire-guard may be easily turned on the'hinged joint so formed,and when turned back against the incasing will so remain,the center ofgravity being thrown back of the base.

I I indicate openings made by cutting away part of one end of the lowerfire-guards F, one each side of the elevator-guide 0, through whichopenings the counterweight and gastubes of the car pass. An opening ismade in the centerof the lower fire-guards for the car-cables.

The axles on which the two lowest cogwheels G G turn,'one on each sideof the elevator, in front, are firmly fastened to the incasing of theshaft near a convenient elevatorlanding low down in the building andwithin easy reach of the operator of the elevator. Each of these twocog-wheels has a lever and handle L, Fig. 1, rigidly fixed to it, bywhich it is turned either forward or back by the operator to close thefire-guards F across the shaft to prevent the updraft therein or to openthem and place them out of the way of the car in its passage up and downthe shaft, which is elfected by the endless chains 0 or theirequivalents. The chains pass tautly around the lower part of the lowestcogwheels, and up tautly over the highest cogwheels, Fig. 1, and inpassing the links come in contact and fit on opposite sides oftheintervening cog-wheels, all of which are vertieally above the lowestcog-wheels, firmly fixed, as aforesaid, to the several fire-guards F,the chains being held on the cogs by the rollers K, Fig. 4, so that aturn of either of the lowest cog-wheels by the operator will turn everycog-wheel and fire-guard above it in the same series alike. The chainmay be kept on the cogs on the side next to the incasing of the shaft byfastening the co -wheels on-the fireguards so close to the incasing asnot to leave space between the face of the cog-wheels and the incasingwide enough to allow the links to slip off the cogs.

The bolt of the look Y, Fig. 4, is forced by a key into a link' of theendless chain 0 and between the next two cogs of the wheel, as shown bythe dotted lines, whereby the chain and the cog-wheels attached are allfastened and kept securely in their places, either open or closed, asthe operator may desire. The bolt may be made to slide or move by thehand of the operator, and thus efl'ect the same result. One or more ofsaid fire-guards below the uppermost pair may be dispensed with, if notdeemed necessary for protection from fire.

These fire-guards and attachments may be used in any vertical shaft in abuilding. I do not claim as my invention the use of the ordinary hatchesas heretofore constructed and used with elevators on the floors ofbuildings; but

I do claim as my invention and ask to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination with the walls of an elevator shaft, of a pair offire-guards hung in said shaft, above the course of the car, and all itsmachinery; a cog-wheel on the shaft of each guard, lower cog-wheels,each provided with a lever and handle, and endless chains, connectingthe upper cog-wheels with the lower ones, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination with the walls of a tightly incased elevator shaft,of a tight top or cover, having ventilating openings; a pair offire-guards hung therein above the machinery, a cog-wheel attached toeach shaft, lower cog-wheels furnished with levers and handles; endlesschains connecting said cogwheels, and locks or fastenings for saidchains, all substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with the walls of an elevator shaft, of a tight top,or cover, provided with openings for ventilation; pairs of fire-guardshung in the shaft, one pair above all the machinery therein, and one ateach floor of the building; a cog-wheel on the shaft of each fire-guard;a cog-wheel provided with a lever and handle below each set of cogwheelsand an endless chain connecting all the cog-Wheels of each series,snbstantiall y as shown and described.

SEYMOUR D. BALL.

